A NEW Alzheimer’s detection test which can diagnose the presence of the disease decades before symptoms appear could be available to patients in just three years.

At least 820,000 people in the UK suffer from dematia, more than half of which also have Alzheimer's [GETTY/MODELS USED]

Early diagnosis would give what few treatments are available a better chance of working before extensive brain damage and dementia fully set in.

The test analyses spinal fluid to detect the presence of minuscule misfolded protein fragments called amyloid-beta oligomers which are thought to be the main cause of Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr Claudio Soto of the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, who carried out the research, said: “This is the key molecule and could be the best, most reliable way to make an early diagnosis.

“That’s been the biggest problem in the field – you can’t identify patients until they are already sick.

“Those amyloid-beta oligomers may be circulating in the body years if not decades before cognitive symptoms arise.”

It’s too early to tell how accurate this method might be or whether it can distinguish people with the disease

Dr Simon Ridley, of Alzheimer’s Research UK

At least 820,000 people in the UK have dementia, with more than half suffering from Alzheimer’s. The disease is incurable but experts believe the key to treating it, and even preventing its onset, lies in early detection.

In the study, published in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports, the researchers showed that their test can detect amyloid-beta oligomers at minute concentrations.

Dr Soto is now hoping to adapt the technology for use with easy-to-take blood or urine samples rather than by taking spinal fluid.

He hopes that a test could be on the market in as little as three years.

Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, cautioned: “It’s too early to tell how accurate this method might be or whether it can distinguish people with the disease from healthy people. We need to see further research in much larger groups of people before we can know whether this approach will be successful.”